Optical interferometric technique for deformation analysis.

We have developed a unique optical interferometric technique for deformation analysis and have applied it to tensile analyses of aluminum based samples. Using a recent theory of plastic deformation, this technique is capable of diagnosing whether the sample is close to a fracture and where the fracture will occur. It is also capable of diagnosing the current degree of stress concentration being developed in the sample. The theoretical basis of this method and some experimental results are presented.